aryland Man Charged with Defrauding Women Through Online Dating Sites

2015-05-09

A Maryland resident has been indicted in Pittsburgh by a federal grand jury on charges of wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced on May 7.

The 17-count indictment, returned on May 5, named Sigismond Senyo Segbefia, 28, of Silver Spring, Md., as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, Segbefia engaged in an online “Romance Scheme,” in which he defrauded victims out of money by posing as other persons on popular online dating websites ChristianMingle.com and Match.com. He also is accused of wiring illicit funds to Ghana.

The law provides for a total sentence of 322 years in prison, a fine of $4,500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation